How Property Managers Can Prepare for Hurricanes

4/25/2022 (Permalink)

If a mandatory evacuation is put into place, none of your staff should stay on the premises.

Preparation Tips for Hurricanes

As a property manager, you have a lot of responsibilities. One of them is storm preparedness. Hurricanes in Sumner, OK, can be particularly dangerous, so you need to make sure your building is ready for excessive rain and winds. Here are some preparation tips.

Contact Information
You should have an emergency contact list for everyone on your property. The list should include:

• Names
  
• Individuals with special needs
  
• Email addresses
  
• Cell and home phone numbers
  
  

Documentation
Once the hurricane is over, you will need to file a claim with your insurance company. The insurer can often help you with storm-related expenses, including remediation and cleanup services.
To expedite the claims process, you should take time-stamped videos or photos of your property prior to the storm. The pictures should document the exterior of the premises and any common areas. Store the images off-site or back them up digitally so you can show them to the claims adjuster.

Maintenance
Cleaning the exterior of your property is important for storm preparedness. Before the storm arrives, you should empty the dumpster and secure any large outdoor items. Be sure to trim trees close to the building, as well.

Staff Delegation
As the hurricane approaches, make sure all of your staff members know their responsibilities. Front-desk workers, managers and engineers should remain on-site for as long as possible so they can assist everyone in the building. Once the winds increase, essential employees should work together to mitigate damage to HVAC systems, water pumps and other important equipment.
If a mandatory evacuation is put into place, none of your staff should stay on the premises. Before your employees leave, give them a phone number or email address that they can contact to find out about returning to work. As the property manager, you should be the last person to evacuate the property.
Storm preparedness is a necessary part of property management. The above tips should help you secure your building and keep everyone safe.